Present study has been carried out to understand the mating strategies of Eremurus himalaicus Baker., important medicinal endemic plant, for its sustainable utilization. The inflorescence architecture, large numbers attractive flowers, presence sterile flowers which give specific arrangement inflorescence, coloured, androecia and nectaries attract pollinators. Protoandry, moderate high pollen o...

An enzymatic maceration and Giemsa staining method was used to compare the karyotypes of Crotalaria laburnifolia (trifoliate) C. spectabilis (simple leaves) species belonging distinct morphological sections with different degrees floral specialization. Both taxa share a 2n=16, asymmetric chromosome complement, relatively similar karyotypic formulae. However, differences in chromosome-SAT, sizes...

Paecilomyces variotii is a common cosmopolitan species that is able to spoil various food- and feedstuffs and is frequently encountered in heat-treated products. However, isolates from heat-treated products rarely form ascospores. In this study we examined by using molecular techniques and mating tests whether this species can undergo a sexual cycle and form ascospores. The population structure...

Speciation involves the formation of reproductive isolating mechanisms such as a difference in pollinators, incompatibility between pollen tubes and stylar tissue, hybrid seed abortion, or poor growth of hybrid seedlings. We studied reproductive isolating mechanisms in naturally sympatric populations of Penstemon spectabilis Thurber and Penstemon centranthifolius (Benth.) Benth. where F1 hybrid...

• The mycorrhiza of orchids represents an energy source that may replace or supplement photosynthesis. Dependency on mycotrophy in adult life stages would thus be expected to be inversely related to the prevalence of phototrophic structures. • The phenology of underground parts and mycorrhizal infection were monitored in five terrestrial species differing in leaf phenology (and thus in phototro...

The present study reports that the flower of Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. has the potentiality to reduce sodium selenate and synthesize selenium nanoparticles. The exposure of aqueous sodium selenate to the flower broth of B.spectabilis leads to the synthesis of stable selenium nanoparticles within five days. The colour change of the reaction medium from purple to brown colour indicates the...

In the present study, in vitro antioxidant, free radical scavenging capacity, and hepatoprotective activity of methanol extracts from Polyalthia longifolia and Cassia spectabilis were evaluated using established in vitro models such as ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH(•)), hydroxyl radical (OH(•)), nitric oxide radical (NO(•)) scavenging, metal chel...

The bark of several coniferous species, a waste product of the timber industry, contains significant amounts of natural antioxidants. In our ongoing studies of Nepalese medicinal plants, we examined the bark from Abies spectabilis as the starting material for extracting antioxidant compounds. In vitro antioxidant activity evaluated by means of three antioxidant methods, namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-pi...